All Signs Point To Matrimony
by insidious heart
Summary: Maria wonders if she will ever get to say 'I do'.


**Disclaimer: I don't own the characters, the show, the lyrics from an ABBA song, etc.**  
**Author's Note: This is an edited version of a story that I previously posted at Electric Candy. There is a note at the end of this ficlet to explain why.**

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"Because I do...I do I do I do I do..." I can't help singing along with the ABBA classic as I take my morning shower. Wonderful hot water streams down my back. Ahhhh...bliss.

Showering is pretty much my only 'me' time these days, it's been that way since I went on the run with Michael four years ago. Fugitive life allows for little comfort and luxuries so you have to take what you can when you have the opportunity. Our current situation is not as bad as it used to be when Michael and I were with the others; we have our own modest cottage that we rent from a local farmer that we've lived in for the last two months, a far cry from camping out in the middle of nowhere and travelling in a cramped old van with four other people. We know we can't stay here too long, but we're cherishing the rare stability while we can.

"So come on, now lets try it,

I love you, can't deny it

'Cause its true...

I do, I do, I do, I do, I do

So love me or leave me,

Make your choice but believe me,

I love you...I do, I do, I..."

Sigh. I shut off the shower radio, feeling more than just a little grumpy. Anything relating to marriage or 'I do's' annoys me these days. I'm only 22 but Michael and I have been together for the most part of the last 6 years, I feel completely ready to take that next step but I sometimes wonder if he'll ever be. Probably not. He hasn't liked me bringing marriage up in conversation, the abrupt change of topic pretty much saying it all. I hate admitting it but it hurts. Oh I know he loves me fiercely but somewhere deep down inside I worry about becoming Amy Deluca, the sequel. As irrational as it is, my old insecurities tend to persist. The funk always gets worse as Christmas approaches, a time when I already miss my mother so terribly while wondering how she is coping without her only child.

I climb out of the shower and quickly rub my body down with a towel, before putting on my skanky looking pink waitress uniform. Yes, I am somehow still stuck in the same line of work I was in at age sixteen...how depressing. Michael has already left for work, he's an apprentice of sorts for our landlord. He helps with maintaining the property, chopping wood, stuff like that. As I approach the front door to lock up, I find a slip of paper with Michael's handwriting on it. My heart speeds up when I read what it says:

_I have to talk to you tonight don't work extra hours at the cafe today. It's IMPORTANT and it can't wait._  
_Michael_

Shit. What the hell does _that_ mean? He's going to leave me on my own? He's found another woman? Michael has been working longer hours lately. Oh shut up Maria. I have no more time to mull over the possibilities or argue with myself because I'm already running late for work. I toss the paper back down quickly before rushing out.

The shift goes by so slowly, giving me far too much time to work myself up into a panic over Michael's note. My mind is so focused on him that I screw up about five orders throughout the day, leaving my manager pissed off at me. Whatever. The rest of my life is on the line here, lady! Stupid old bitch. At the end of my shift I hurry out and practically sprint the mile long distance back to the farm. Michael is already home when I get in, smirking while I struggle to regain my breath. I glare at him until he gets the hint and grabs me a glass of water. As soon as I'm finished, he pulls me over to our couch and sits me down.

"You're probably wondering what I need to talk to you about." he begins.

No shit Sherlock, is the Pope Catholic? But I just nod, not in the mood for a sparring match. My stomach is already busy doing Olympic-calibre tumbling.

"Isabel dreamwalked me last night." he continues. She and Kyle are fine, before you panic. Anyway, during the course of our dream conversation, I made the mistake of telling her where we are."

And?

"They're coming to visit us for Christmas. All four of them. I told her repeatedly that it wasn't safe and..."

Michael doesn't get the chance to finish before I'm squealing and jumping up and down on his lap like a little kid. My Christmas is suddenly looking far more cheerier.

"Oh my God, this is amazing! I can't wait to see everyone! I've been dying to talk to Liz, it'll be just like the old days! I wonder if..."

It's Michael's turn to cut me off but he does so with a slow kiss before pulling back to look me in the eye.

"You know the risks that this visit will bring. I'm not very happy about it, as much as I'd like to see them too. But you know how Isabel gets."

I laugh. "Yeah, she's pretty persuasive when she needs to be." I lean in and kiss his beautifully soft lips before adding, "I know the risks Michael, and I'm willing to take them. I also know that you happen to be the greatest protector in the universe and would never let anything happen to me. We'll be fine, I promise."

Michael looks doubtful but relents. "I hope you're right."

"I _know_ I'm right, I always am. Hasn't that been long established?"

"Whatever."

* * *

Isabel, Kyle, Liz and Max arrive a week later and two days before Christmas Day. Everyone is in good spirits despite arriving late in the evening. Isabel and Kyle seeming particularly happy, which is slightly suspicious. As far as I'm aware, Isabel is still married to Jesse although I don't think they've spoken since the day we left Roswell for good. It's sad but it's been four years and Isabel deserves her happiness, cruel as it sounds. Liz looks positively radiant, married life suits both herself and Max to a T. Unfortunately the ring on her finger reminds me of the mini depression I was in last week and the joy I had from seeing my friends slowly fades. Still, I do my best to stay cheerful. It's hardly Liz's fault that she is living my dream.

I must have been staring into space, because I fail to notice Isabel's insistent tapping of my shoulder.

"Hello! Earth to Maria!" she finally snaps with exasperation.

Oh no, the Christmas Nazi beckons. I quickly snap to attention. "Sorry, Is."

"Fine, fine. I need you and Liz to come with me tomorrow morning to buy all the necessary supplies for Christmas dinner. God knows you and Michael haven't done anything to prepare so we'll need a few hours to get everything we need."

And Isabel is off in Nazi mode as she throws her hands up in the air, bemoaning the lack of Christmas decorations in our house, save for a plastic angel lying on our kitchenette counter. Well it's hard to celebrate the holiday season when you're barely making minimum wage, I don't know how she plans on paying for this feast. But I'm sure Isabel has it figured out, she always does.

We all say our goodnights and turn in early, ready to be worked to death by the slave driver...er, Isabel the next day. I curl up in Michael's warm arms and soon fall asleep.

* * *

True to form, Isabel wakes us all up early on Christmas Eve. After a quick breakfast of eggs and toast, everyone is assigned a job. Liz and I are helping Isabel with groceries, Michael and Kyle are in charge of finding a suitable tree and Max is supposed to collect a bunch of small tree branches and then alter them into decorations with his powers. Before I leave with the girls, I make my way over to Michael who is busy bitching to Kyle about becoming Is's Christmas slave once more. He pulls me into his arms for a nice long thorough kiss goodbye, before we are forced apart by the Nazi.

"Maria!" she barks. "We're on a tight schedule here, move it!"

Michael laughs." Think of the schedule, Maria the precious schdeule!" he whispers mockingly and kisses my forehead before gently nudging me toward the door. As I walk out the door, I look back and make eye contact with him. There's some kind of strange twinkle in his eyes. Dammit, why does my spaceboy have to be so darn mysterious!

Isabel drives Liz and I to a mall about two hours away to buy everything we need for the dinner. Turkeys, hams, salads, vegetables, puddings, icecream, chocolate, chips, wine (for the humans), soda...when Isabel Evans plans a Christmas dinner, she really goes all out. But I am still wondering how this big spread will be paid for.

I don't have to wonder for much longer when we reach the registers. Isabel hands the checkout operator two crisp one hundred dollar bills and we are soon on our way back to her car with the groceries. Isabel sees my questioning eyes and seems to be aware of what I want to know.

"It's Kyle. He's an insanely good gambler. We hit up the casinos in Las Vegas and Reno and he wins big every time, with no powers whatsoever."

"Ohhhhh." I'm amazed. Wow, Buddha Boy the provider. Than I crack up, remembering the trip to Vegas five years ago when I told a blackjack dealer that Kyle was a problem gambler, just as he was on a winning streak. Guess they forgot! Is and Liz join in with the laughing and all thoughts of money and weird alien boys temporarily fly out the window.

We stop for lunch at a road side cafe before heading back to the cottage to begin organizing tomorrow's festivities. As we get closer to home, Isabel turns off onto a narrow side road that looks like it hasn't been used since the nineteenth century. Of course, I fail to realize this until we are a mile down.

"Is, you're going the wrong way. We have to head back onto the highway."

"Oh, I just thought a detour might be nice." she replies vaguely.

Now this is strange. I would have sworn that Isabel would be itching to get back as soon as possible. I look at Liz who seems to be avoiding my gaze. Okaaaaaay then. Something is definitely off here.

"A detour?" I probe further.

"Yes Maria, a detour. Do you have a problem with that?" Isabel responds with a touch of exasperation.

"Well, I guess not..." Although I do have a problem with my butt going numb from being in the car so long, but I refrain from commenting further.

"The forest is beautiful around here." Liz chimes in. "Oh look, there's a sign up ahead, maybe they're selling wild strawberries or something."

Wow...strawberries. If it weren't for the fact that Isabel already is not of this earth, I'd think that aliens have abducted my friends.

"Why...have you got something hot planned for Max, huh?" I tease her. Liz blushes profusely.

"Ewwww, do we have to talk about my brother in _that_ way?"

Liz and I snicker. I'm about to reveal some details about Michael to gross Isabel out when I notice that we're close enough to read what it says on that stupid sign.

_It's been a long time._

How odd. Then as we drive around the corner and down a gently sloping hill, I see a few more signs taped on trees.

_We've been through so much together._

I'm intrigued and look over at the others. Isabel seems to be concentrating on driving as slowly as possible and Liz is staring out of the back window. Something isn't right here, but I can't quite put a finger on what it is. There are five more presumably weird cryptic signs ahead.

_I know I'm not Mr. Romance. I'm more like Mr. Asshole sometimes._

Hah, so some other girl out there is stuck with her own Michael; they've had some kind of fight and here he is crawling back up to her. Snort.

_I don't change my sheets, I buy you generic shampoo, I eat weird food, I take you bowling instead of nice restaurants, I have no fortune to offer you, I never know how to say the right things._

Wait a minute. That girl...oh shit, I think it might be me! But we haven't argued since last week when Michael came home with mud on his shoes, leaving muddy footprints on our carpet.

_But the thing is, I love you more than anything else. Anything. And I want to spend my life with you, whatever is left of it._

Oh God. I don't think this is Michael...it can't be. Nevertheless, I'm practically jumping up and down in my seat. The second last sign contains just two letters.

_Marry me._

I am so stunned that my mind immediately goes into gibberish mode. Definitely, definitely not Michael. It can't be. Maybe Kyle? Would he dare buy Isabel generic shampoo though? My insecurities won't let it be Michael. Oh hell, please please please let it be Michael.

There is only one more sign ahead.

_Yeah I'm talking to you, Deluca._

! It is me! It's me! Oh God, oh shit, oh crap, it's meeeeeeeeeee! Me! Not Isabel, not Liz, not that Courtney skank-bitch - me! Maria Deluca, soon to be Mrs. Maria Deluca-Guerin!

I barely notice Liz and Isabel grinning and squealing as I jump out of the car and dash around to the last sign. There is a movement behind some nearby bushes, from which Spaceboy appears with leaves and twigs tangled up in his unruly hair. It doesn't matter at all to me, he's still the most beautiful thing I've ever seen.

Just as I think I'm about to go into either shock or a meltdown, Michael makes his way over to me. He takes my shaking hands in his.

"Maria, look at me."

I gaze up into those amazing whiskey brown eyes. He looks almost...terrified. I can't imagine why. It's kind of hard to tell though, with my vision quickly blurring with tears.

"Marry me, Maria. Please?"

"Marry you? Marry you! MARRY YOU! Of course I'm going to marry you!" I sob in reply, taking my hands away and throwing myself into his arms.

Michael picks me up and twirls us both around for a moment before setting me down and covering my lips with his. We fall over together on the grass, tongues duelling, hands wandering until he nudges me away, to pull something out of his pocket. It's a sparkling emerald set in a simple white-gold ring.

"I bought this a while ago. I'm sorry if it's not very good, I couldn't afford much more but it reminded me of your eyes."

"It's beautiful, Michael. It's so perfect...you're perfect. I love you." I manage to get out in between sobs. I mean it, the man in front of me is like a divine gift from God to me. I'll never ever be able to convey to anyone the extent of my love for him because there is no end. I'm pretty sure we were made for each other, unconventional as we may be.

"I love you too. Now, give me your hand."

I stretch out my left hand and Michael slips the ring on my finger. It fits perfectly, just like Michael and I. He kisses my hand and then pulls me close to hold me once more.

"You probably thought that this was never gonna happen, didn't you?" he asks softly.

I laugh softly. "I was never really sure. I've worried about ending up like Mom but I know in my heart that you're not my dad and you're not going to leave."

"I'm not. You're the reason I'm here, the only reason. No one else."

"Ditto." I lean in for another kiss, to seal the deal once and for all.

fin.

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**This story has been edited to comply with this site's rule of no explicit MA content . I have posted the full ficlet with explicit ending on Electric Candy, if you are over 18, you can read it there. The link to Electric Candy is in my profile, my stories are posted under the same username (insidious heart)**


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